So how do you make chords from these exotic scales?

Pick any 3 notes and you're ready to go!

Or not.

If the scale is still based on the equally-spaced western system of 12 semitones then the principles are no different. You just have to think in terms of semitones and intervals rather than get stuck on the overly-specialised tonic-mediant-dominant style terminology. (One problem with modern music teaching is that it is obsessed with the harmonic minor and major scales, thus making it harder to teach people about the basics of intervals and harmony that are independent of the scale you use. But I digress.)

If the scale has a quite different tonality, then your work is gonna be a bit more difficult. It would help to know the frequencies of the notes so that you can calculate harmonious intervals for yourself.

Bear in mind that many of the scales mentioned above such as 'dorian' and 'mixolydian' are not exotic at all. Their intervals are used every day in popular and classical music. I'll leave it as an exercise to find out why is is technically true, and how the construction of chords there is no different to the major or minor scales.

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[edited by - Kylotan on February 4, 2004 5:27:33 AM]